The Faculty of Law (FLL) of the University of Macau (UM) and the Faculty of Law of the University of Coimbra (UC) jointly organised the ‘Joint Seminar between Faculty of Law of University of Macau and Faculty of Law of University of Coimbra: Contemporary Issues of International and European Union Law & Recognition Ceremony: Tribute to Professor Doutor Manuel Lopes Porto’. The ceremony aimed to honour Manuel Lopes Porto, professor of UC, for his outstanding contributions to higher education and academic exchanges between Macao and Coimbra, Portugal, and the seminar aimed to discuss contemporary issues in international and European Union (EU) law.

To promote the development of higher education and research between Macao and Portugal, João Nuno Calvão da Silva, vice rector of UC, led a delegation to visit UM and held in-depth discussions with Rui Martins, vice rector of UM, on promoting knowledge exchange, interdisciplinary collaboration, and innovative research.

During the recognition ceremony, Rui Martins, João Nuno Calvão da Silva, as well as Tong Io Cheng, dean of FLL, Wei Dan, vice dean of FLL, and Paulo Canelas de Castro, president of the Institute of European Studies of Macau (IEEE) and associate professor in FLL, delivered speeches. They highly praised Manuel Lopes Porto for his outstanding achievements in the field of law and expressed their sincere gratitude for his long-term service to the legal community. Following the speeches, Manuel Lopes Porto was presented with a commemorative trophy and a certificate of recognition.

The ceremony was followed by a seminar on ‘Contemporary Issues of International and European Union Law’, where participants discussed key issues such as the development of emerging regional alliances, challenges in humanitarian law, the application of the Ljubljana-The Hague Convention, regulatory mechanisms, and energy policy. Speakers included UC representatives—Manuel Lopes Porto, João Nuno Calvão da Silva, and Jónatas Machado, dean of UC’s Faculty of Law, and UM representatives—Wei Dan, Paulo Canelas de Castro, and Muruga Perumal Ramaswamy, associate professor in FLL. Their presentations sparked heated discussions among the participants and led to a dynamic academic exchange.

The seminar not only allowed both parties to share their insights on contemporary legal challenges, but also strengthened the partnership between UM and UC. Both institutions look forward to further cooperation in the areas of legal education and academic research.